Detachable barrel construction for firearms



Sept. 27, 1938. M. A. BROWNING DETACHABLE BARREL CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 71 5273 02 Marzvnsrflfirawnzn;

ti'arngy Sept. 27, 1938. M. A. BROWNING DETACHABLE BARREL CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS Filed Jan. 14, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mara W52 5y 1/ Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES FFECE mar DETACHABLE BARREL CONSTRUCTION FOR FIREARMS Application January 14, 1937, Serial No. 120,577

14 Claims.

One object of the invention is to provide a firearm with handle means positioned at, or approximately at, the center of gravity of the firearm, and mounted on the gun so as to be movable to and from a firearm carrying position.

Another object is to provide a firearm and movable carrying handle with cooperating means for limiting the relative movement of the two.

Another object of the invention is to provide m a handle device of the character set forth which will be out of the line of sight and in a position not to interfere with firing when attached to the firearm and not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide is such a handle device which will be simple in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and light in weight.

From the following description other and more specific objects of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawings I have shown the embodiment which I now deem preferable, but it will be understood that these drawings are intended for illustrative purposes only and are not to be relied upon as limiting or defining the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a firearm incorporat- 39 ing. the invention.

. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the firearm shown in Fig. l, the handle devicebeing shown in alternative positions in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the forward portion of the firearm shown in Fig. l, the piston tube being shown in its rearward position.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to that of Fig. 4 but 49 with the firearm barrel in a position permitting it to be longitudinally removed from the gun.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line and in the direction of the arrows 6-6 in Fig. 5.

45 Fig. 7. is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line and in the direction of the arrows '!--'l in Fig. 5, the outline of the lower portion of the firearm being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing 50 the handle device in another position.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the firearm breech casing, barrel, and handle device after disconnection of the barrel from the breech casing.

55 i7 10 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the handle device, a fragment of the firearm barrel being shown in dotted lines.

I have illustrated the invention as applied to an automatic rifle and it is particularly adapted for use with this type of firearm, although it is obviously not so limited and may be used with other types of firearms. A rifle of this type is generally indicated at l and comprises a barrel 2, breech casing 3, stock 4, cartridge magazine 5 and piston tube 6. The piston tube 6 may be slidably connected at its forward end with the barrel and the connection may take the form more fully shown in Fig. 3. The piston tube is shown as being provided with an end portion '1 having a T-shaped groove 8 therein adapted to cooperate with a T-shaped projection 9 on the barrel. The barrel and portion 1 of the piston tube have cooperating gas passages it and ii therein through which gases of explosion may be led to the piston tube to actuate a piston (not shown) which in turn operates the breech mechanism in a known manner. Pivotally connected with the breech casing and piston tube are the pivotally connected levers l2 and [3 which may be used to slide the piston tube longitudinally of the barrel to connect or disconnect the end portion I with respect to the barrel. A bipod I4 is shown as secured to the firearm and may be used as a rest when the gun is being fired.

In accordance with one phase of the invention the barrel is connectible to and disconnectible from the breech casing by relative rotation of the two in order to render possible the substitution of a different barrel if desired for any reason. When the firearm is in use the barrel becomes heated due to firing and it may become so hot as to preclude grasping it with a bare hand to rotate it with respect to the breech casing. In accordance with this phase of the invention a handle device is provided which may be locked to the barrel to serve as a means for effecting rotation of the same. One method for locking the handle device to the barrel is to provide the former with means selectively movable into and out of locking engagement with the barrel. So far as the broad aspect of the invention is concerned any suitable construction for effecting such movement may be used. At present I prefer to use a cam for thispurpose, and more particularly, a cam which serves to move the locking means in only one direction and I provide means such as a spring for moving the locking means in a reverse direction. In connection with a construction such as just outlined a handle is preferably provided for imparting movement to the cam. When a cam 5. 5 other ways I now is used for this purpose it may be either of the sliding or rotating type. Furthermore, means may be provided for securing the handle in a position in which the locking means is disengaged from the barrel or in a position in which the locking means is engaged therewith.

With the above in view I have shown the barrel and forward end of the breech casing as being provided with cooperating threaded portions and K6, the threads being of the interrupted type so that the barrel need be turned through only approximately 90 and then moved longitudinally to eiTect its disconnection from the breech casing. A reversal of these steps serves to securely connect the barrel and breech casing. The barrel is provided with the shoulder i I which functions to prevent rotation of the barrel relative to the breech casing unless the threaded portion of the barrel is fully inserted into the threaded portion of the casing. A groove E8 in the casing receives the shoulder I? when the barrel has been properly inserted to permit the necessary relative rotation for effecting the connection of the barrel and casing.

When the tube 6 is in its normal forward position it is connected to the barrel and serves to prevent relative rotation of the barrel and breech casing.

One form which a handle device embodying the invention may take is generally indicated at it. Such a handle device comprises a body portion, means by which the body portion may be locked to the firearm, and a handle.

In the specific form illustrated the body portion 29 is generally cylindrical and has a bifurcated projection 26 thereon. Slidably mounted within a recess 22 in the projection is a projectible detent 23 which is preferably biased to a retracted position by a spring 24. Pivoted between the ears 25, 25 is a handle 26. Means, such as a cam, is provided for projecting the detent 23 into looking engagement with the barrel and I have shown the handle as including a cam portion 27 which, when the handle is moved from the full line position of Fig. 2 to the dotted line position B of Fig. 2 functions to project the detent against the retracting force of the spring 2 3. Means are provided so that the detent may lockingly engage the barrel and in the particular form illustrated a recess 28 is formed in the barrel into which the detent may project.

In accordance with another phase of the invention I construct the handle device so that movement thereof is selectively permitted or prevented. While' this could be accomplished in prefer the construction shown. The handle 25 includes a stem portion 29 of reduced diameter which is threaded at 3B, and a slidable grip 3! preferably formed from material, such as wood, having a low coeificient of heat conductivity. The grip is bored at 32 and counterbored at 33 which results in a shoulder 34. The grip includes a member 35 secured thereto having lugs 36 thereon which are adapted to engage in notches 3'? and 38 in the ears 25. The stem 29 projects into the counterbore 33 and has a spring 39 positioned thereon between the shoulder 34 and a nut iii threaded on the portion 363.

The operation of the construction so far described is as follows: Assume that the parts are in the positions shown in full lines in Fig. 2, that is. the barrelis secured to the breech casing and the handle device is in place on the firearm with the handle extending parallel with the barrel.

The lever I 2 is first swung downward to the position shown in Fig. 4 to move the piston tube 6 rearward and thereby disconnect the same from the barrel. The grip 3! is now grasped and pulled rearward whereupon the lugs 35 are withdrawn from the notches 38 and the spring 39 is compressed. The handle may now be rotated 90 in a clockwise direction on its pivot which will cause the cam portion 2? to project the detent 23 against the action of spring 2d into the recess 28 in the barrel, the relative position of the parts now corresponding to Fig. 8. If the pull on the grip is released the lugs 36 will engage in the notches 3'! in the ears and in this position further movement of the handle with respect to the body 23 is prevented and the handle device is locked to the barrel. By pushing the handle upward to the position of Fig. '7 the barrel will be rotated with respect to the breech casing to disengage the interrupted threads on these two members and the barrel can then be longitudinally removed from the breech casing. A reversal of these steps will serve to reassemble the firearm.

Attention is called to the fact that when the handle device is not in use the position of the handle is such as to not interfere with the oper ation of the firearm but due to the pivoted construction of the handle it has a substantial effective length for leverage when used to rotate the barrel.

A separate handle device may be provided for each barrel or, if desired, one handle device may be used with several barrels. In this latter case it is only necessary, once the barrel has been removed from the firearm, to pull the grip 3! and thereby withdraw the lugs 36 from the notches 31 and to then rotate the handle to the position shown in. Fig. 10. This action rotates the cam portion 2'1 to permit the spring 24 to withdraw the detent 23 from the recess 28 in the barrel. It is obvious that the handle device can now be slid rearward on the barrel to remove it therefrom and that it may then be placed upon another barrel by a reversal of this procedure.

The handle device is positioned on the firearm at, or approximately at, the center of gravity of the gun. It should be noted that when the handle extends parallel to the barrel, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, it is free to rotate about the barrel from this position to a position corresponding to that indicated at A in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and it can then be conveniently used as a carrying handle for the entire firearm which will be suspended from the handle in a substantially balanced position.

In order to prevent swinging of the firearm with respect to the handle device when it is being carried thereby various means may be provided to limit the relative rotation of the two. I have shown a preferred construction for so limiting this relative rotation. The breech casing has a projection 4i thereon adapted to project into a notch 52 in the body portion of the'handle device. The projection and notch are so related that the handle device can not rotate in a clockwise direction beyond the position shown in Fig. 7 and at A, Fig. 2.

When the barrel and breech casing are provided with cooperating threads it is desirable to provide means for limiting the relative rotation of the two between a position in which the threads are completely interengaged to firmly secure the barrel to the breech casing and a position in Although separate means could be provided for this purpose, in the construction shown the handle device in conjunction with the projection 41, performs this limiting function. The positions and widths of the projection 4| and the notch 42 are so related that when the handle device is locked to the barrel and in the position shown at B,,Fig. 2, the shoulder 43 strikes the projection M and when in the position shown in Fig. 5 with the threads l5 and I6 completely disengaged the shoulder 44 strikes the projection.

It should be noted that the notch 42 and projection 4! provide the proper limits of relative rotation when the handle device serves as a firearm carrying handle and when it serves as a means for rotating the barrel.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many changes may be made in the details of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of a firearm having a casing and a readily detachable barrel removable in the forward direction, and a handle connected directly with the barrel and positioned with the major portion thereof behind a transverse plane through the front of the casing so as to be adjacent the center of gravity of the firearm, the said handle thus serving either for carrying the barrel only or for carrying the entire firearm in balanced position.

, 2. In combination with a firearm including a rotatable barrel, a handle device rotatably mounted on the firearm approximately at its center of gravity whereby the handle device may be moved from a position out of the line of sight into a position to serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position, and means for selectively locking the handle device to the barrel for rotating the same.

3. In combination with a firearm including a rotatable barrel, a handle device mounted on the firearm approximately at its center of gravity and normally rotatable with respect to the firearm whereby the handle device may be moved from a position out of the line of sight into a position to serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position, and means for selectively locking the handle device to the barrel for rotating the same.

4. The combination of a firearm, a handle device rotatably mounted on the firearm near its center of gravity, and cooperating means on the handle device and firearm for limiting the relative movement of the two between a position in which the handle device may serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position and a position in which the handle device is out of the line of sight of the firearm.

5. The combination of a firearm having a breech casing and a barrel mounted thereon which is connectible thereto and disconnectible therefrom by relative rotation of the two; a handle device mounted on the barrel near the center of gravity of the firearm, said handle device including a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, a handle on said body portion, and means movableinto engagement with the barrel to lock the handle device to the barrel whereby the handle device may be used to rotate the barrel with respect to the breech casing; and cooperating means on the handle device and breech casing for limiting relative rotation of the two between a position in which the handle device may be locked to the barrel and be out of the line of sight of the firearm and a position in which the barrel is disconnectible from the breech casing after having been rotated by the handle device or in which the handle device may serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position.

6. The combination of a firearm having a breech casing and a barrel mounted thereon which is connectible thereto and disconnectible therefrom by relative rotation of the two; a handle device mounted on the barrel approximately at the center of gravity of the firearm, said handle device including a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, means on the body portion movable into locking engagement with the barrel to lock the handle device to the barrel when the handle device is positioned'out of thelineof sight of the firearm whereby the same may be used to rotate the barrel with respect to the breech casing, and a handle pivotally mounted on the body portion operable by moving the same from a. position in which it extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the firearm to move said means into locking engagement with the barrel, said handle device being rotatable with respect to the firearm and barrel when the handle extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the firearm whereby it may be moved to a position to serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position; and cooperating means on the handle device and breech casing for limiting relative rotation of the two between a position in which the handle device may be locked to the barrel and be out of the line of sight of the firearm and a position in which the barrel is disconnectible from the breech casing after having been rotated by the handle device or in which the handle device may serve as a handle for carrying the firearm in a substantially balanced position.

'7. In combination with a firearm breech casing, a barrel mounted on the casing and connectible thereto and disconnectible therefrom by rotative movement of the barrel with respect to the casing, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably -mounted on the barrel and means on the body portion movable into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel whereby the handle device may be used to rotate the barrel, and means for limiting the rotation of the barrel with respect to the breech casing in the separative direction when the handle device is non-rotatably engaged with the barrel.

8. In combination with a firearm breech casing, a barrel mounted on the casing and connectible thereto and disconnectible therefrom by rotative movement of the barrel with respect to the casing, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel and means on the body portion movable into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel whereby the handle device may be used to rotate the barrel, and cooperating means on the breech casing and handle device for limiting the rotation of the barrel with respect to the breech casing when the handle device is non-rotatably engaged with the barrel.

9. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, a detent carried by said body portion and movable to and from a position of engagement with the barrel v for preventing relative rotation of the handle device and barrel, means for biasing the detent from said position of engagement, means carried by the body portion for holding the detent in said position of engagement against the action of said biasing means, and a grip portion which extends horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle.

10. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, detent means carried by said body portion and pro- J'ectable into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel, and a handle mounted on the body portion and movable relatively thereto to project the detent means into engagement with the barrel, said handle including a grip portion which extends horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle.

11. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, detent means carried by said body portion and projectible into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel, and a handle mounted on the body and including a cam member movable to operate said detent means and also including a grip portion which extends horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle. 7

12. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, detent means carried by said body portion and projectable into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device With respect to the barrel, a handle mounted on said body portion and movable relatively thereto to project the detent means into engagement with the barrel, said handle including a grip portion which extends horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle, and means operable for selectively preventing or permitting movement of the handle with respect to the body portion.

13. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, projectible detent means carried by said body portion and adapted to be moved into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel, a handle mounted on the body portion and including a cam member movable to project said detent means and also including a grip portion which extends horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle, and means on the handle operable for selectively preventing or permitting movement of the handle with respect to the body portion.

14. In combination with a firearm including a barrel, a handle device comprising a body portion rotatably mounted on the barrel, projectible detent means carried by said body portion and adapted to be moved into engagement with the barrel for preventing rotation of the handle device with respect to the barrel, a pivoted handle mounted on the body portion and including a cam member movable to project said detent means and also including a grip portion movable with respect to the rest of the handle into and out of interlocking engagement with the body portion for selectively preventing or permitting pivotal movement of the handle with respect to the body portion, said grip portion extending horizontally when the handle device is used to carry the firearm in a horizontal position depending from the handle.

MARRINER A. BROWNING. 

